Orientator or architect&#39;s solar dial



Aug. 4, 1931. A. s. CLAY 1,817,350

ORIENTATOR OR ARCHITECT '5 SOLAR DIAL Filed Sept. 29. 19:50 4 Sheets$heet 1 Aug. 4, 1931'. A. s. CLAY 1,817,350

ORIEQT ATOR 0R ARCHITECTS SOLAR DIAL Filed sept. 29, 1930 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Aug. 4, 1931.

A. S. CLAY ORIENTATOR on ARCHITECT'S s Filed Sept. 29. 1930 OLAR DIAL 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Au .4, 1931. P A. s. CLAY 1,817,350

bnIzNTAToR 0R ARCHITECTIS SOLAR DIAL' Filed Sept. 29. 1930 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 II In ll XIII I X J" Jll \A I E M LAY I All. VIII m I p 5; my" 1.1 m... u. G 19 V "1/ III II I X XI X IX VI V" I 1 l 1 I l a a faceted Au 4, i931 V i 1 817 350.

, 1 UNITED STATES PATENT omcg 431mm; s ms: ciJAYQor iiionnoni metmpgiss nda "rQflQdmi L "SIMMS LIMITED, or YORK, unwr t en-BRITIS QOMPANX g a 1 p V ABCHZITECTVVS SOLARDI I I p pplication filed September 29,1930, Serial No 485,269, and inGreatjBritain September 3, 192 9.

1 This invention relates'to' what'weterman r In an alternative construction a single inorientator or architects solar dial, is. an in.- strument can be used for both summer and strument for ascertaining from architectural winter andiinthis case its tilted member has plans the direction of the rays of'the sun at two sets of hour graduations one set repr'e- "'15 different times of the day in relation to'sesenting the average conditions prevailing m lectedparts of buildings set out on the plan's. 'cluring'the summer 'months and the other set Accordingto the invention the said instrurepresenting the average conditions prevailment comprises a base plate or member repingduring the winter months. This tilted resenting the horizon and a tilted member member can also be made adjustable to agree 'io which represents the plane of the path of'the with different latitudes. i E sun and which is engravedin hours to repre- In order that the said: invention may 'be sent the position of the sun atdifferent times clearly understood and readily carried in'to duringthe day,the hour graduations being .effect the samewill now be? described more so spaced as to represent-the suns progress at fully with reference to the accompanying a. rateof approximately 15 of are for each drawings in which 9 r V k hour; The base plate has pivotally connect- ,5 Figure 1 is aplan of one form' of-instrued thereto a memberxwhich may convenientnientrepresenting he average conditionspre- 1y be in the form of :a cord and. which may vail1ng duringfthe'summermonths,

e have at its outer end abrass ball representing Figure 2 is a sectional side elevation of thesun. The saidpivotedmember extends Flgure 1,' r r upwardlybeyondthe tilted member (which i-F gu're 3zisa viewqof the instrument lookishereinreferred toas-the hour-circleyand --1nginthe-directionofthe arrowlin Figure-2, V e; pivotal n t ee i v dzth' b Figures 4,-5-and6 arevie'ws similar'to'Fig-r plate represents the I fobservers position ,=11-rIes'-1, 2-' and 3showing thelin'strument repre- @31 h t b l ni gv th -Jinstrumenton' an archisenting the average conditions prevailing 15 tect ural plan in such amannerr that the said during 'thewinter months, point corresponds toathe position of the build- Flgures 7, 8 and-9 are also views similar a ing on the plan to-be studied and arranging t F1g1'1res 1, 2 and-.3 showing a form/of th i t nt th t a li j i i g .th the instrument representing theTaverage'conpointsofsunrise and sunset on thehour cirdltlons -prevailing during both the summer so cleor on the base plate is due East and -West and winter months, 1'

1 a Y with reference tothe North point on the'plan, Fig re 10 is a development of the graduthe pivoted member can be swung into differated tilted member or. hour circle of Figent positions with respect to theFhour circlev ures 7, 8,and 9, Y

i 35 andit can then beseen what is'the direction Figure 11 is 'a side elevationshowing an ofthe suns rays at anytime of the day inninstrument similar "to that of Figures 7 to -1ation to thdpartiycularj it-i 1 t' db'n 10 butmadeadjustable for difierent latitudes theplan. V f V bothNorth:and-'S'outhof the-Equator,

r The suns declination varies from 'month'to 5" Figure'12 is a' plan of Figure 11, month during each year, but as it may not be Figure 113 is a view'of'Figure 11 looking desirable tovary' the positionxofthe pivotal in'theg directionof the "arrow' 1, with parts point of the aforesaidmovable member,'-'we insection; i I i I may rovidetwo instruments one represent- Fig'ure 13ais' a'local-view looking in the ing t e average conditions prevailing during direction of the arrow 20f Figure 11,'

-- 45 the summer-months'andthe other representi- Figure leis a'vertic'al'sec-tion of Figure 11, "9

ing the average.conditionsprevailing dur- Figure '15 is azdevelopment ofpart of the ing-the winter months. These will give a hou'rjcircle of Figures 11 to 14;" r close approximation to the conditions obtain- T Figure "16 is a planshowingthe parts of r ing during nearly four months of. summer ,the instrument of F igures 11 to 14 arranged -50 andduring nearly-four months of-winterx fortransport,and

Figure 17 is a side elevation of Figure 16.

In the various figures, A is the base plate which represents the observers horizon, B is the tilted member or hour circle and C is the pivoted member which is in the form of a cord provided at its outer end with a ball C representing the sun.

Referring to Figures 1 to 6, the base plate A supports the hour circle B at an angle depending upon the latitude for which the instruments are'designed. In the examples shown the instruments are for use in latitude 33 and the hour circles are arranged at an angle of 57 to the base plate.

The instrument which represents the conditions obtaining during the summer months (Figures 1 to 3) has the pivotal point C ofthe. cord "0 arranged at such a position that the said cord makes an angle of 7 7-30' to the base plate at noon thus giving a north declination of 20-30' between the said member and the plane of the hour circle. The instrument which represents the conditions obtaining during the winter months (Figures 4 to 6) has the pivotal point C" of the cord C arranged at such a position that 1 the said member makes an angle of 36..30 to the base plate thus giving a south declination of 20 between it and the plane of the hour circle. For an instrument designed for use in latitude 54 (which is that of York, England) the hour circle is arranged at an angle of. 36 to the base plate and the: aforesaid cord makes an angle of 5630 to the base plate at noon in such an instrument representing the conditions obtaining during the summer months, the corresponding angle for an instrument representing the conditions obtaining during the winter months being 1530.

It will, of course, be understood that midday in ordinary time and 1 oclock in summer "time is the culminating point of the hour circle and that this circle would be figured from left to right when used in the North- I ern hemisphere and from right to left when used in the Southern hemisphere. The base plate may also be graduated as shown to represent the direction of the rays at each hour on the hour circle projected vertically down onto the horizontal plane. These graduations are not essential but are convenient as they give the horizontal direction directly.

In using the selected instrument it is placed on the architectural plan with the point (You the portion of the building to be studied and arranged so that a line joining the points of sunrise and sunset marked on the hour circle is due East and'West with reference to the North point on the plan. The cord is then swung into different positions over the hour circle and the incidence of the suns rays at any time of the day in relation to the selected point on the plan can thus be ascertained.

In each of the instruments according to Figures 1 to 6 the hour circle is pivotally connected to the base plate and supported at the rear by a pivoted arm C which at its lower end has a clip portion engaging with the rear part of the base plate. The instrument can thus be folded into a flat condition when not in use.

In Figures 7 to 10, which represent an instrument designed to represent both summer and winter conditions, the hour circle B forms part of a sphere and its upper surface (the edge of which is provided with. hour graduations) is in such a position as to give the cord 0 the required angle for summer conditions whilst its lower surface (the edge of which is provided with hour graduations) gives the said cord the required angle for winter conditions. The said-hour circleis disposed at an angle to the base plate depending upon the latitude in which the, instrument is to be used. In the example shown the various angles are those mentioned above as pertaining to the latitude of York, England, and the instrument is used in the manner above described.

In the construction according to Figures 11 to 16 the hour circle B, instead of being arranged at a fixed angle to the horizontal as in the constructions hereinbefore described, is made adjustable to suit different latitudes. For this purpose the saidhour circle (which is in the form of a complete circle representing a twenty-four hour day) is formed with oppositely arrangedv holes'B B which receive pivot pins B ,'B carried by a ring A constituting the base member thatrepresents 'the'horizomthe said ring being supportedby pillars B B B The portion'of the hour circle adjacent to one of the pivot pins B is secured to a collar B the periphery of which is graduated to represent North and South latitudes, these graduations being read against a fixed index B5. Bearing against the inner surface of the hour circle is a collar-B 1 which is held firmly in position by a clamping nut B which engages with a screw threaded extension B (Figure 13) ofthepivot pin B .This extension is formed with a screw threaded axial hole to receive a pin B the point of which is located atthe centre of the aforesaid ring B". The aforesaid cord C is attached to the point of the said pin and is connected to the ball. C representing the sun as hereinbefore described, the point of the pin representing the observers position on the architectural plan aspreviolisly explained. The hour circle B forms part of a sphere .and has its edge portions graduated to represent a twenty-four hour day. The graduations which are uppermost in Figure 11 are for summer in the Northern hemisphere and for winter in the Southern hemisphere, whilst the graduations that arelowermost in Figure 11 are for winter in the N orthern hemisphere and summer'in the Southern hemisphere. When the cord C bears against the upper edge of the hour circle with the latteradjusted as shown in Figures 11 to 14' to .a latitude of North 54, the conditionsare similar to those obtaining when the cord is similarly placed on the instrument according to Figures 7 to 9, that is to say the ball C represents the summer sun for that particular latitude. Similarly when the cord is disposed in contact with the lower edge of the hour circleas shown by chain lines in Figure 14, the ball C represents the winter sun at that particular latitude.

For transporting purposes the aforesaid pillars B, which are screwed into the ring A, are removed and screwed into three screw threaded holes provided in the aforesaid clamping nut B, one of these holes being indicated at B in Figure 13. The instrument is then in compact condition shown by Fig ures 16 and 17. 1

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is 1. An orientator or architects solar dial comprising a base plate representing a horizon, a second member, representing the plane of the path of the sun, extendin upward from and at an inclination to the base plate and which is provided with hour graduations to represent the position of the sun at different times during the day, ber pivotally connected to the base plate and required angleifor summer conditionswhilst its lower surface occupies such a position as to give the saidmember the required angle for winter. conditions. i

7. An orientator or architects solar dial as'in claim 1,",wherein the inclined member is made adjustable to suit different latitudes.

8. An orientator or architects solar dial as in claim 1, wherein the inclined member is in the form of a complete circle representing a twenty-four hour day to suit the variable tiniles of sunrise and sunsetat difi'erent latitu es.

and a third mem- I movable over the said inclined member, the

pivotal point of said third member representing the'observers position on anarchitectural plan upon which the instrument is laiced when in use for the purposes specie 2. An orientator orarchitects solar dial as in claim 1, wherein the pivoted member is in the form of a cord carrying-a ballto represent the sun. j a

3. An orientator or architects solar dial as in claim 1, wherein the pivotal point of the pivoted member is fixed in such a position as I to give the average conditions prevailing during the summer months.

4. An orlentator or architects solar dial as.

in claim 1, wherein the pivotal point of the a pivoted member isfixed in such a position as to give the average conditions prevailing during the winter months. I

5. An orientator or architects solar dial as in-claim 1, wherein the inclined member isprovided with two sets of hourgraduations one representing the average conditions prevailing during the summer months and the other representing the average conditions prevail ing during the winter months.

6. An orientator or architects solar dial as in claim 1, wherein the inclined member is in the form of part of a sphere and is so arranged that its upper surface occupies such a position as to give thepivoted member the ARUNDEL SPENCER, CLAY. 

